In Memoriam: Raymond W. Sommerfeldt, 1922-2017 ay Sommerfeldt, professor emeritus of physics, died February 14 at his home in Bend. He was 92 years old. Prof. Sommerfeldt was born in Portland on October 27, 1924, to Walter and Lena Sommerfeldt. He graduated from Portland’s Franklin High School, then served in the U.S. Army Air Forces as a radio operator in the Pacific Theater during World War II. At war’s end, he returned to Portland and enrolled at Vanport Extension Center, the institution that was moved downtown in 1952 and evolved into Portland State University. After transferring to the University of Oregon in 1949, Prof. Sommerfeldt completed an undergraduate degree in physics, then continued his education at Oregon State University, where he earned a master’s in 1954 and a Ph.D. in 1964. Before joining the physics faculty at Portland State in 1966, he taught at Texas A&M and Oregon State, and served as visiting scientist at the Institute of Physics, University of Uppsala, Sweden. He earned the Carter Award for outstanding teaching in the School of Sciences at OSU. During his 20-year career at Portland State, Prof. Sommerfeldt coauthored papers in Physics Letters, American Journal of Physics, and Bulletin of the American Physical Society, among others; served as a member of the City Club of Portland; was secretary and president of the Oregon Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers; and served as section representative of the Oregon Academy of Science. In addition to serving as head of the Department of Physics, he also participated on departmental, college, and university committees. After his retirement, Prof. Sommerfeldt moved to Bend and “started a whole new life” in the words of his wife, Alyce. He started a senior softball league and looked after the couple’s horses and malamutes on the couple’s five-acre property. “He loved it here in our log cabin,” she said. Prof. Sommerfeldt is survived by his wife, Alyce, and his sister, Dorothy Phillips. He was preceded in death by his sons, Raymond and Joseph, from a previous marriage. A memorial service is scheduled for on May 10, 1 p.m., at Willamette National Cemetery, 11800 SE Mt. Scott Boulevard, Portland. Remembrances may be sent to Partners in Care, 2075 NW Wyatt Ct I, Bend, 97701. –Doug Swanson Upcoming RAPS Events—Save the Dates May 3, 2017 Wine Tour with Professor Emeritus Scott Burns, including commentary about the geology of the Columbia River Gorge as we travel to and visit three wineries in the Hood River area, probably Cathedral Ridge, Phelps Creek, and Springhill Cellars. Cost: $70 per person, of which $30 will support our Scholarship Fund. Limit of 26 participants. May 18, 2017 (Columbia Falls Ballroom, University Place) President’s Gathering for Retired Faculty and Staff. 6 R
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